


Above Ground

by InsominiacArrest



Category: Original Work
Genre: Anxiety, Comedy, F/F, Femslash, Growing Up, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-26
Updated: 2016-05-03
Packaged: 2018-06-04 17:44:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6668218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InsominiacArrest/pseuds/InsominiacArrest
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Naomi Watts dropped out of middle school, became a TV addict and is only now coming back ‘above ground’ when she is seized from the basement of her free-loving parents commune and sent to live with her aunt. </p><p>Her aunt Nancy lives in a large house with two other families as tenants of the place. Naomi, after years of depressed basement dwelling is now in a position to start over. All she has to do is get a GED, maybe get over some lingering agoraphobia and hopefully not fall in love with the blonde nerdy pyromaniac Mandy who lives across the hall from her.</p><p>tumblr: insomniac-arrest.tumblr.com<br/>wordpress: insomniacarrest.wordpress.com</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Series of Events yet to be Unfortunate

**Author's Note:**

> I'm looking into writing a serial novel over the summer, this is the first chapter of one I'm considering doing, though I'm not entirely sure yet. Can also be read on my wordpress:  
> insomniacarrest.wordpress.com/

The first thing she did when she got out of the car was shield her eyes from sunlight. It was a watery yellow that sliced right into her retina's, she blinks until she can make out the house in front of her.

She whistles when she gets a good look at the gothic three story house, built in a neighborhood of houses of similar stature playing a game of ‘don’t touch me’ as they were separated by expansive yards.

“So this is where my aunt lives?” She says into the air and her social worker glances at her dismissively.

“Yes.” Ms. Fritz responds, a tall willowy woman with the features of pinched silly-putty, pinched, pinched, pinched, cheeks, nose, and lips, pursed and stubborn. She didn’t speak much and was hard to read.

 

She takes a few clipped steps to the door and knocks promptly, Naomi trails behind her, lugging her possessions in a case the size of a dog carrier. 

She sniffs the air, there must be a lilac tree somewhere since the air was wafting with the color purple and flowers.

“Social services,” Ms. Fritz announces to the door while knocking, “here with Miss Naomi Watts.”

 

They wait, finally the echoes of footsteps troupe to the door, a young asian man in a paint splattered shirt answers the door.

 

He glances between them and Ms. Fritz cocks up a fine eyebrow, “I am looking for Nancy Gardner.”

 

The puts his hand to his mouth, "Nancy!” They stand there in a very plain silence as more footsteps clatter across stairs.

Naomi shifts her weight from side to side, not knowing where to look.

A woman with tick curls that twisted off her head like springs, just like Naomi’s, comes into view. She wore a corduroy dress and eyes like charcoal and hard as nails.

Naomi remembers her mom telling her the rest of her family was full of ‘hard asses,’ but her mom thought that about most people. 

Nancy Gardner blinks at all of them, “oh Jie, this is the girl I was talking about.” She gestures to Naomi.

“So soon?” He asks. 

Her aunt Nancy looks her up and down. “Have you guys even been feeding her?” She asks sharply.

Naomi tugs self-consciously at her sweater sleeves.

Ms. Fritz’s face remains impassive, “her previous guardians were not attentive. We have a couple behavioral and health issues we should discuss.”   
  
Aunt Nancy shakes her head, “I always knew my sister was loon, but not like this.”   
  
Naomi meets her eye, “they let me do whatever I wanted. It’s my fault.”

 

Nancy snorts, “right. Okay. Let’s get you to our room.”   
  


She nods at Ms. Fritz and leads Naomi inside, Naomi thinks about the Series of Unfortunate Events and keeps her eye for any grand tragedies to befall her in the new territory. Dukes or towers to be locked in.

It was messy, but still cleaner than she was use to. She wrinkles her nose at the purple carpet and pale yellow wallpaper.

“Was that guy like, my uncle?” Naomi tries to do what the counselor suggested and ‘engage.’

Nancy looks back at her as they make their way up a main staircase, “who, Jie? Sweetheart.” She shakes her head at her.

Naomi scowls at the back of her neck.

“The first thing you should know is we aren’t the only one’s who live here. Shirley is the land owner, got it? No fires, no messes, no stealing stuff from any of the other tenants, else both our asses are out on the street.” Naomi nods mutely. “I know you're used to doing what you wanted at my deadbeat sisters, but it’s not like that here.” Nancy continues, “no running wild like some someones orphan.”

“Orphans have the best story lines.” Naomi pipes up.

Her aunt Nancy just stares at her, “I'm going ignore that for now. Follow me.”   
  
She leads her into one giant room with several partitions.

 

“We live with two other families, and Jie lives in the basement.”   
  
“I used to live in a basement.”   
  
Her aunt snorts “Good lord.”

Naomi shrugs, “it was fine. I could live down there again so I don’t get in your hair.” She glances at her aunt Nancy's wild mass of curly hair striped with grey strands.

“I don’t think so,” Aunt Nancy pulls aside a partition, “the Rodriguez's live on the other side of this paper wall, got it?” 

Naomi nods, it was like being a 1920s crowded New York tenant house, she could do that, instead of bland Kansas city dusty skies and miles of flat landscape.

“The Brzezinski’s live across, they all have kids,” her aunt scrunches her nose at her, “try to play nice with them.”   
  
Naomi nods again, though a sour taste enters her mouth. 

“Anyone else?”   
  
“No, I don’t think so.”   
  
“Where is the TV?” Naomi puts her luggage down on the floor. 

“In the living room.” She says plainly, “you’ll have to share it but Shirley likes a lot of channels so we have options.”   
  
Naomi smiles for the first time, she might be able to work with that.

“You can sleep in my king size until we get you a cot, less you want to sleep in the floor.” She says absently.

Naomi’s mouth goes sideways, “I suppose.”   
  
“And you’ll go to school starting Tuesday.”   
  
“No.” Naomi says, her hands twitching, “no way.”   
  
Aunt Nancy turns on her, “what kind of 15 yea--”   
  
“16.”   
  
“16? Well, what kind of girl your age has a 6th grade education.”   
  
Naomi shrugs, “school is overrated, my parents told me it doesn’t get you anywhere and indoc-indoctinates. I’m going to be a movie director.”   
  
Aunt Nancy chuckles, “I’m going to go talk with Ms. Fritz. You make yourself comfortable.”

Naomi watches her leave, the second her footsteps disappear Naomi dashes out down the stairs and sneaks around the first floor.

“Ah,” she finds a spacious room with a floral couch and flat screen, “thank God.” 

She had almost missed Sleepy Hollow. She turns it on and channel surfs until the buzz fills her ears and the world becomes small again. 

The light is still too bright, but she covers her in a blanket and falls into a feeling of normalcy.

Her aunt tries to force her come to dinner but she resists, refusing to get up or look up at her.

She gives a bag of potato chips and shakes her head, “I’ll be back for you. You have a bed time.”   
  
Naomi doesn’t respond but she’s already thinking  _ we’ll see about that. _

Project Runway is down to the final four when Naomi is interrupted once more.  

“What are you doing?” Naomi freezes, two hours in and the sun dipping below the flat plains and she sees a new person.

Her stomach tightens. She tries to ignore her again.

A figure walks in front of the TV and Naomi is forced to look up. 

“What are you doing?” She had a river of long blonde hair, her hip cocked to the side, a pair of black rimmed glasses, a white skirt and polo shirt.

Naomi makes a face at her.

“This is a private residence you know.” She says tersely. “Are you fucking lost?”

Naomi bites her lip, “just moved in.” She finally says, “could you get out the way?”   
  
“Oh, I’m sure, and unless someone had another baby pop out like a daisy and raise herself into a messy twig I don’t think so.”   
  


Naomi scowls, “back off. I’m Nancy Gardner’s niece.”   
  


The girl leans forward, “I’m going to tell Shirley.”   
  
Naomi shakes her head, she watches her leave.

 

Ten minutes pass, it's ten when her aunt Nancy arrives, “alright girly, you are going to bed whether you like it or not. Plus, that Brzezinski girl already made a fuss.”   
  


Naomi burrows deeper into her blankets, “I’m in the middle of an episode.”   
  
“You’re at the middle of my frayed nerves. My sister isn’t going to ruin my niece.”   
  
That gets Naomi’s attention, “I’m not ruined.” She says as matter of factly as possible.

Nancy’s eyes soften into a powder of coal dust, “I know you aren’t darling. I know you aren't... But I  _ will  _ drag you to bed myself.”

Naomi frowns, “people have to make their own decisions. It stunts their souls otherwise.”   
  
Aunt Nancy drags her into bed.

  
When her aunt Nancy is softly snoring next to her Naomi gets back up and sneaks back downstairs to watch infomercials until dawn. The blonde girl with a bad attitude scowls on her way out to school the next morning. Naomi tries to not watch her go.


	2. The Cereal Killer Episode

In the morning she told her aunt Nancy that she had just gotten up early, that she had been good, that she hadn’t been up all night indulging in two hours of the ab rocket infomercials. Five minutes a day and could look, from flab to fab.

Naomi considers who waistline and thinks better of it.

She tries to chat with Aunt Nancy on her way to work, ‘eat something,’ ‘I’m not hungry.’ And the general argument that follows.

Her aunt Nancy had yet to find out how stubborn she could be.

Aunt Nancy was picking up her keys as Naomi slumped at the kitchen table, “you better eat something when I get back.” She scolds.

Naomi listlessly shrugs her shoulders, “I’ll eat when I’m hungry.”

“You’re mother raised you like a real rebel I see.”  
  
Naomi cracks a small smile, “I was taught to think for myself.”   
  
“Is anemia part of that?”   
  
That quiets Naomi as she watches the back of her aunt retreat through the door, off to her first job.

 

Naomi creeps back into bed and drifts into a disturbed sleep for the rest of the day, she would be missing America’s Next Top Model marathon, but she figured she could pass more time asleep this way.

 

She sleeps until her stomach complains like a jammed lawn mower.

 

“Fine, fine,” she grumbles at it and takes herself out into the kitchen. “Better have something…”  
  
The low light of the Kansas dusk streams right into her face and she cringes, shading her eyes she ducks her head into the fridge. She takes out some soy milk and finds their cereal boxes. She picks the brightest colored one with the most animals on it and sits herself down at the kitchen island.

 

“From fab to flab in just five minutes a day…” She murmurs to herself as she crunches on the cereal.

 

Her eyes glaze over and she considers relocating herself to the living room when she hears a little hiccup.

 

She looks over to find the large round eyes of a young girl staring at her, she had a pink back pack and gaps in her teeth. She looked about 9 or 10. Naomi hunches over and stares right back, she wasn’t used to sudden intrusions, it wasn’t like the commune where she couldn’t just slink away.

“Hi,” The young girl finally says.

Naomi nods her head, words twitching on the tip of her tongue, “I’m Naomi.” She starts mutely.

The girl breaks into a large grin, “I’m Mariana! You can call me Maria or Mari or Ana, or pipsqueak. But don’t actually call me that.”

Naomi’s shoulders relax, “are one of the Rodriguez's?”

She nods once more like a pez dispenser wanting to distribute candy to the world, “uh-huh, are you uhhhh,” She looks her up and down, “who are you? Why are you eating the Brzezinski's cereal?” She gasps, “are you Kyle’s and Mandy’s cousin? You don’t look like it, Mandy _hates_ her cousin, but you don't look like her.”

Naomi tries not to just slide out of her chair and go into a dark corner of the house, “no.” She says simply, “I’m Nancy Gardner’s niece.”  
  
“Oh, oh yeah,” The girl blinks several times, “hmmmm. Are you going to live here?”

“I guess.” Naomi looks at her feet.

Maria taps on her chin and then lights up, “I’ll go ask Mandy if it’s okay if you eat her cereal for you!” She turns on her heels and dashes out of the room.

“Wait, no-” Naomi calls after her, hoping to just throw out the cereal and pretend none of this ever happened.

She feels sick and tries to look around for an exit, the first door led outside, the other to the stairwell where she would run into them again.

She bawls her fists up and presses her nails into her palm.

“Okay, well, that isn’t cool.” She hears the voices waft towards her.

She glances up, Maria had brought ‘Mandy’ in by the hand. The blonde girl was back.

She silently looks her over, “you know the food in there is all labeled.” She says like she’s explaining algebra to a 4 year old.

Naomi scowls, “you can have it back.” She pushes the cereal in her direction.

Mandy snorts, “I don’t think so.” She looks her up and down in her baggy pajamas, “you looks like you could use it.”

Naomi presses her chin to her neck, “I didn’t know, okay? You can have your dumb cereal.”  
  
“No, I get it, you’re new or whatever.” Naomi tilts her head in confusion. “Just knock it off. My cereal, got it?”   
  
“It’s not that good anyway.” She crosses her arms and says quietly. 

“Then don’t eat it! God, it’s not that complicated.” They glare at one another.

 

Maria looks between them, “but it’s okay, right, Mandy?”  
  
“I guess. I mean, it says our name right on the box, can you not read?”

“We didn’t do that at my old house.” She murmurs, “everything was for everyone.”  
  
Mandy gives her a look and snorts, “what? Did you live in some sort of commune?” She sounded like she was joking.

Naomi blinks, “yeah. How'd you know?”

“Wait,” Mandy raises her eyebrows, “really?”  
  
“Yeah, back in Arizona.” Her heart thumps for a moment, remembering dusty horizons and wide open plains you could almost embrace.

 

Maria tugs on Mandy’s sleeve, “what’s a commune?"  
  
“Hippy havens.” Mandy says shortly, “I’ll explain in a little.”

“It’s a place where people share and do what they want.” Naomi explains slowly.  
  
"Do what you want?" Maria glances at her, “did you have to go to school?”

Naomi breaks into a full smile, “no.”  
  
Maria bounces up and down, “wow!”

  
“Not wow,” Mandy murmurs, “did they feed you?”   
  
Naomi ducks her head down and picks at her fingers, “I’ll watch out for your cereal next time.” She relents.

  
Mandy bites her lip when Naomi looks up, “fine.”

"Good."

"Wonderful." Mandy takes Maria’s hand, “come on, I’ll help you with your homework in the living room.”  
  
Naomi wants to protest, saying she was going to reclaim the television, but her mouth just hangs open and then closes as they leave.

Naomi throws out the cereal and rummages around until she finds a piece of paper and a pen. She knew what she was dealing with, and she knew who won.

 

 **Problem:** She remembers a school counselor telling her to work through her problems. She fished out her phone and brought up ‘Queen B’ on her TV tropes:

_"I take it as a rule of nature that all American high schools are ruled by a pack of snobs, led by a supremely confident young woman who is blonde, superficial, catty, and ripe for public humiliation. This character is followed by two friends who worship her, and are a little bit shorter"._

— Roger Ebert, review of _Sleepover_

 

She nods, and begins a strategy list:

  * Witty one liners
  * Find her cheerleader outfit and ruin it
  * find her friends, reveal her true nature to them (bad)
  * Play her in chess (humiliate)
  * Find her boyfriend... ~~steal him?~~  RUIN HIM
  * Draw new eyebrows on her during the night in sharpie
  * Problems: too pretty, good hair, smells nice, eyes like-



She stops there and contemplates her options. If she lets things play out then Mandy would be the alpha and she would be the quirky heroine, Naomi would come out on top, but only if Mandy was brought down a peg.

  
She contemplates the choices before her.


	3. Cigarettes and Daydreams

Halls. Dizzying halls, halls, halls, tiles and stomping feet and chittering voices like she was on animal planet watching meerkat manor where they just wouldn’t shut up.

She had put on her heaviest jacket that morning and pulled the hood all the way up to cover her face, she trailed behind her aunt like a stray dog, and it felt a lot like one too.

She stared at her feet, the tiles were beige and the lockers were grey, grey, grey, like stones. It smelled like teen hormones and distant laughter. She clutches at her stomach and follows her aunt to a little office tucked away in the heart of school.

“I’m not going here.” She practically whimpers.

“Hush child, this good for you.”  
  
“Only I know what’s good for me!” She retorts shortly with a huff.

Her aunt sighs, “you’re only 16.”

She hunched her shoulders over, her mom always said she was born free, but then again her mother was probably doped in a jail cell at the very moment. Maybe. She didn’t know, she hadn’t called.

Naomi squeezes her eyes closed and shuts out the voices and tall man with a mustache. A principal, just like on Glee or Degrassi or any other show about teens.

She watches him with a distant interest, like it was someone else being sent to public school after four to five years of nothing.

“You’re saying she hasn’t been in school since the 7th grade?”

Her aunt nods, “that’s right, correct, Naomi?” She addresses her, and Naomi just bites her lip.

“Something like that.” She mumbles.

“Was she home schooled?”

  
Her aunt looks at her, Naomi stares at her hands, “sort of…” She shrugs, “I was taught to teach myself.”  
  
Her aunt sighs, “not really Mr. Henderson.”

 

“I’m sorry,” He looks between them morosely, “but I’m not sure if she can come back after all that time just yet, will consider getting a private tutor to take her up to speed?”  
  
Her aunt narrows her eyes, “you must have remedial classes, special ed, somethin'.”

 

They argue over the desk and Naomi counts to ten in her head, it was bright out, cloudless and her breaths come in short bursts, the bells ring and kids crowd the halls. She tries to make herself small.

 

She drifts in and out of paying attention, but her aunt proved to be every bit as tough as she expected.

 

“I won’t take no for an answer.” Of course she wouldn’t.

 

The principal sighs, “we could start her off as a freshmen in remedial classes. She could also try after school programs, office hours. She’ll have to put in the effort and we’ll try our best.”  
  
Naomi juts her jaw out, she was not liking this. “I’m not that smart.” She asserts, “school isn’t for everyone.”  
  
The principal blinks at her, her aunt Nancy gets up quickly, she grabs onto Naomi’s wrist, “thank you so much for your time!” She spouts and tries to shake his hand quickly to get them to leave.

She drags Naomi out of the room and shakes her head, “stubborn, stubborn, stubborn. But I swear I’ll get you to college yet.”

Naomi snorts, “it’s a lot of money for nothing.”  
  
“Maybe for my sister, but I can tell you've got a head on you.”  
  
Naomi shakes her head, “let’s just go home…”

She surveys the hallways as they troop through the jostle of the crowd, her eyes searching for a long length of blonde hair.

 

She spots at the last second loitering by a locker, tucking a loose strand behind her ear and her mouth moving. Naomi doesn’t stare at her mouth, but she does notice no boyfriend around her. Dang.

 

She’ll try again later.

 

Mandy doesn’t spot her and she slips into the backseat of her aunts beat up Subaru.

 

“I’m not going.”  
  
She sighs, “You'll have to at least try it darling.”

 

She stuffs her hands in her pocket and slumps into her chair, unyieldingly staring at the window the whole way home. Stout houses pass and a sour taste in her mouth raises, the sky is a pale blue and her stomach clenches at how wide and peopled the world seemed to be.

 

She gets into the house and clomps up the stairs.

 

“Dinner is at 6!” Her aunt calls after.

 

“I’m going to sleep!” She falls into bed and burrows deep into the comforter, the fluttering in her gut doesn’t stop but her brain eventually falls away into a troubled nap.

 

********

 

Naomi spent a blurry two more days in a bubble of Teen Wolf and The Bachelor (Tina deserved to win), a blanket wrapped around her shoulders and head pounding by the 12th hour.

“Get up.”

Naomi blinks her eyes open, rubbing them roughly, “not sleeping.”  
  
“Well, you should have been. We're starting today.”  
  
“Starting what?”  
  
“Freshman year.”  
  
Naomi groaned, “you’ll have to drag me.”  
  
“Oh I will. Though I’ll try this first,” she holds out some money, “go to class and I’ll pay you a dollar per hour. Buy whatever old show you want.”  
  
Naomi cringed, “I can’t do that. I have morals.” She responds and juts out her jaw.

Her aunt sighs, “dragging it is.”  
  
Naomi resists for a little longer but soon finds her teeth brushed, clothes yanked on, though wrinkled, and hair put in a presentable state.

She eats the cereal labeled ‘Mandy' just for kicks.

“I’ll walk you most the way, Mandy offered to show you the rest of the way when I have to get to work.”  
  
Naomi stops mid-chew, “Mandy and I don’t get along.” She says through her full mouth. She swallows painfully.

 

Her aunt tuts at her, “Mandy is...rough around the edges. But she’ll help you along.”  
  
_No she won’t_ , she pouts, _she’ll ruin me_ , with gossip or cattiness or whatever it is girls did.

 

Her aunt hands her a backpack and they make their way into the tepid whether.

 

“Good morning Miss Mandy,” aunt Nancy says politely as Mandy stands in the yard typing on her phone, she glances up, a smile for once gracing her thin lips.

 

“Hello Ms. Gardner, I hope you are having a nice day.” Naomi rolls her eyes at the pleasantries. 

 

They chit-chat and she tunes them out, trying to memorize the way home so she can dash back right away.

 

“...and I have this huge history day project. On the Berlin Airlift, I’m thinking little packages in parachutes.”  
  
“Well, you always do the best work Miss Mandy. I hope you can impose a little of that on my niece.” Her aunt nudges her, she stares at her feet and tries not to give into the rising tension in her chest. The world was loud and angry in her ears.

 

Mandy looks at her, empty-eyed, “I’ll try.”

 

Her aunt stops in place, “I hope it’s a good first day then,” she places a hand on Mandy’s arm, “look out for her will you?”  
  
Mandy nods stoutly and turns away, her aunt turns to Naomi.  
  
“You’re gonna be alright,” she kisses her on the forehead and Naomi doesn’t know how to react. “Try to... _try,_ darling.”

Naomi shifts from foot to foot and nods.

She leaves the two girls with a wave and Mandy starts at a clipped paced down the cracked side walk.

 

“Come on.” She says brusquely. “We only have so much time before class,” she glances at her as Naomi tries to keep up, “a class is a thing where you learn for 50 minutes.”  
  
Naomi glares, “oh no, what is that? What is lear-n? ‘Fraid I’ve never heard of that.” She exaggerates her speech.

 

“Well,” Mandy says quickly, “you won’t find much of it at Jefferson, so it doesn’t matter anyway.”  
  
Naomi quirks a smile, “is it one of those kind of public schools? My dad always says schools were underfunded, undermanned, and no-brained.”

Mandy looks behind her and frowns, “it’s the best we’ve got.” She says solemnly, “try to get into AP classes.”

Naomi shakes her head, “try, try, try, Naomi, maybe people should try at things they want to.”  
  
“Like TV?” She teases her.

“Yes,” she holds her chin up, “I’m going to be a director.”

Mandy shakes her head and they walk in silence for a stretch, Mandy tip-tapping on her phone now and then and Naomi looking around.

 

“So, it’s Taylor street, Maryland road and then Jefferson?” She asks slowly.

 

“You’ve been paying attention.” Mandy notes, Naomi just shrugs, Mandy looks around, “yeah that’s the way. We’ll do it every day for three more months.”

“Sure, right.” Naomi says as her eyes memorize the order of the house colors. "That's what I'll do."

 

“Oh no,” Mandy stops in place and says seriously, “we’ll go. Every morning.”

 

Naomi gives her a blank stare and doesn’t reply, they make it to the outside of the brick building with people streaming into the doors like trout swimming downstream.

 Naomi tries to wander to the left, her feet trotting off to the side. 

“What are you doing?” Mandy asks sharply and grabs her shoulder before Naomi can run off.

“Trying.” She emphasizes, “I should go..” her eyes dart around, “make friends.”  
  
Mandy narrows her eyes, “Ms. Gardner told me to keep an eye on you.”  
  
“Follow then, no one is stopping you.” She bites sand rushes behind what must be the gym. Mandy diligently follows, telling her to go to class as they walk.

Naomi bites her lip and her eyes fall on someone dark and tall with a cigarette perched between their lips.

 

“Sup,” the young women had a choker and plain look on her face, “want something twerp?” Naomi blinks at the other girl.  
  
Mandy meanwhile rounds the corner and her eyes go wide as they fall on the cigarette, Naomi smirks.

 

“Cigarette,” she replies, the goth raises an eyebrow, “it’s my first day." She explains, "I could use _something_."   
  
The goth chuckles, “I feel that.” She hands her a thin white stick, Naomi feels like she should get a leather jacket. She was trying after all.

 

Mandy stands there silently. Her mouth becomes a thin line as the girl lights her up, and tells her to inhale.

 

“We have to go,” Mandy says quietly. “We have to go.”  
  
“Chill out nerd,” the goth says, “try a smoke.” She tries to hand her the cigarette next.

 

Naomi chokes down a cough and sucks in the dark tar taste. Ugh.

Mandy’s mouth hung open and Naomi watches her eyes focus on the bright red tip of the bud, smoldering and trying to choke out Naomi like a strangler.

“I’m Cath by the way, just Cath.”

Naomi would laugh if she was trying not to die from a burn in her throat.

“Cool,” she coughs, “I’m, ack, Naomi.”

Cath laughs at her, “they get better, every time, gets better.”  
  
She isn’t sure what to say, and fiddles with her hands. She glances at the Mandy standing dead-eyed by then, she shakes her head abruptly.

 

She dashes forward and throws the light on top of the dead grass behind the gym.

 

“Hey!” Cath barks, “these things aren’t free.”  
  
“I have...” Mandy stutters but her attention burns back to the grass which lit up in a small blaze.  Mandy gasps lowly.

 

Cath laughs at her, “I knew the rumors were true.” Mandy doesn’t move, Cath goes over and stomps on the small fire until it was out.  
  
Mandy grabs Naomi’s wrist, “you fucker,” she grits through her teeth and starts running with Naomi in tow, dragging her behind.

 

“I was making a friend!”

 

“You were sharing a cancer stick.” Mandy had found her mouth again. “And I’m late for class.  
  
“You’re the one that just stood there for like a decade watching that fire you started. Pyro.”

 

Mandy darkly looks at her feet, “go home. Go home if you have to.” She turns her back on her, “go back.”  
  
Naomi blinks slowly, surprised at change in attitude. Mandy’s eyes melt into pools of blue as she looks back at her.

Naomi doesn’t know where to categorize that.

 

She just tugs her backpack further on her shoulders. It was a short first day.

 

She loiters outside brightly colored houses and wonders over dry lawns to find her way home, and finally her heart unclenches from a painfully off-beat rhythm when she curls up on the couch at home.

  
Mandy doesn’t tell her aunt that night where Naomi went. She just smiles and Naomi watches her as closely as possible.


	4. Who Wants to be a Millionaire

Naomi discovers Eugene on the seventh day. He is a fat grey cat that liked to hide behind the cupboards, he belonged to the mysterious Ms. Shirley who Naomi had yet to meet. 

Naomi found if she held him real close and ignores his squirming, she could bury her nose in his soft grey fur she could assuage some of her own anxiety-- and get to hold a cat too.

Naomi thought it was pretty tragic he was declawed, a cat without claws was a person without nails-- itchy probably, but it made it easier to collect him in her arms against his will.

Eugene the cat would watch the South Park marathon with her.

“Don’t be so fussy Eugene,” she chastised as he tries to duck under her arms and she watches a satirical episode about the economy. 

A door slammed somewhere in the house and Eugene scrambles out her arms and into the kitchen, she chases on her knees and dives for the fat grey cat, she runs headlong into the back of some knees.

“Ah,” Naomi freezes as she hears a familiar voice. “I thought you’d be around here.” Naomi looks up at the knees she crashed into, "and as coordinated as ever.   
  
Naomi looks up, she narrows her eyes, “hey Mandy.”   
  
Mandy sniffs, “I need your help.”   
  
“How so?” Naomi asks slowly, “and why should I?”   
  
“Well,” Mandy put her hands on her hips, “I’ve been covering for you with your aunt, since you know, you still haven’t gone to the school your aunt tried so hard to get you in.”   
  
Naomi looked down at her feet and clutches harder at her own hands. She bites her lip.

“It’s no problem or whatever. But I need your help.”   
  
“Alright,” Naomi sighs deeply, “I’ll get the shovel and we’ll go ahead and hide the body.”   
  
Mandy freezes, “what?”   
  
“You know, since you offed some poor sot with one of your ice glares.” She looks up with a half grin and Mandy tilts her head to the side.

“Ha.” She says shortly, but Naomi sees a little smile on her lips. “Well, get the table from the garage.” 

Naomi puts Eugene down, “alright, be good kitty, I have to get help the queen B, emphasis on the B.”   
  
“Damn straight.” Mandy seems to say under her breath. 

Naomi follows her nondescript orders and enters the surprisingly organized garage and discovers a fold out table neatly placed to the side. She drags it outside, her twiggy arms straining under the weight.

“Stupid blonde, stupid arms, stupid sun.” She whispers at the heat-drenched light. 

She lugs the table to the curb and sets it up, hoping Mandy might something cool like a kick flip off it at least.

She watches the door, and instead finds that the girl comes out with a plate full of cookies and some milk. Naomi blinks slowly.

“Did you come to reward me?” She asks somberly as she looks at the baked goods. 

Mandy shakes her head, “no. Hold these, we need chairs.”   
  
Naomi sniffs the fresh cookies and ponders if her fear of Mandy outweighed her own natural inclination of spite.

She doesn’t have long to think about before Mandy is back with two chairs and a sign, her face is a mask of cheer.

“Today is the day.”   
  
“Today is the day?”   
  
“Today is the fucking day.” She confirms and Naomi scoots her chair up.

“Yes. The third. The holiest of days, we should really celebrate it more often, right before the fourth, and after the second, amen."

Mandy rolls her eyes, “I need a car.” She says simply. “I have places to be and people to see. Dates to go on,” she pauses and tilts her head to the side, “in theory.”   
  
Naomi snorts, “and you’re going to raise money for this car...with cookies?”   
  
Mandy thwaps her on the shoulder, “yes!” She says shrilly and then puffs out her chest, “I’ll have you know I am top of my business class and every cookie I sell is a profit.”   
  


Naomi shakes her head, “that’s like, 30 bucks a day. Wow, you’ll have your car at least when you graduate business school in five years.”   
  
Mandy taps her on the nose, “that’s a lot of assumptions Missy. Though, of course, I _will_ go to Leeds. But still, I have other sources of income.”   
  
Naomi looks her up and down as they sit out in the hot sun. “Oh?”

Mandy narrows her eyes at her and a string of tension threads between them. 

“Mr. Hallaway!” Mandy jumps up from her seat and waves across the street, “would you like to buy a cookie...or two? It goes to a good cause.”   
  
Naomi examines Mandy’s bedazzled jean skirt as she stands up, someone needed to sit her down with an episode of Fashion Police, and soon.

Naomi watches the pavement as Mr. Hallaway comes over.

“Is that so Mandy?” He says in whatever old man voice that develops after 65, Naomi cringes. There were no elderly at the commune- not that she would know, she didn’t mingle much.

“Yes, sir, I’m looking to buy a car. And be able to do more charity events.” Her smile sparkles and Naomi breaks into a knowing smirk.

“Well, that sounds good enough. How much then?”   
  
“Five dollars.” His eyes go wide, “with milk of course.” Mandy assures.

He shrugs, “I’ll be right back then.” He pats Mandy on the shoulder and leaves, Naomi exhales.

“Five dollars? Really? Are you Scrooge McDuck?”

“He swims in gold coins. I see no issue.” She crosses her arms and shades her eyes to look up at the sky, “and you forget, mostly rich people live in this neighborhood. We’re like intruders on the best parts of the Kansas City and then tenant it out.” Mandy was frowning and Naomi examines her face.   
  
“I still doubt you’re going to sell that many.”   
  
Mandy shakes her head, “just you wait.”   
  


She makes two more sales within the hour, and Naomi is slumping down under the heat and surrealness of it.

It didn’t help that Mandy seemed to be disarming charming, she called out everyone that passed and asked about their kids and hobbies and whatever else.

 

Of course, sometimes their eyes would land on Naomi. Those were the worst.   
  
“Oh, who is your friend here?” A soccer mom asks curiously.

“Just another classmate,” Mandy chirps and then cups her hand to whisper, “She’s a little shy.”

Naomi’s cheeks heat up and she glares, and then bites her lip anyway.

The women buys two cookies and leaves, Naomi immediately turns on her, “what was that?” She spits.

Mandy waves her off, “calm down. If you don’t want to be the wilting wall flower of the neighborhood then help me sell. These schmucks could use two smiling faces.” She nudges her with her eyebrows bouncing up and down.

“Are you pretend-nice to everyone but me?” She grumbles.

“Nah, I’m always this nice,” she hands her cookie, “here. Get something on your bones, I cut myself on your cheek bones alone.”   
  
She bares her teeth, “good.”   
  
“Eat, eat!” She forces it into her hands and she takes a bite. It was dry, but good enough.

 

“It’s dry.” She grumbles and finishes it up in several speedy bites.

Mandy raises her eyebrow, “too bad. Beggars can’t be choosers. Though now you owe me five bucks.”

  
Naomi sits up straight, “that’s not how being nice works!”

Mandy laughs, “joking!” She throws her hands in the air, “what is the ni-cee, you speak of?” She exaggerates the word.

 

Naomi drinks some of the milk provokingly and then starts, “I’ll teach you. The going rate is $50 bucks.”   
  
Mandy claps her hands together, “now you’re getting it!” She laughs, “you’re not so bad Watts.”   
  
Naomi sighs, “don’t get used to it. I don’t trust anyone with highlights.”   
  
Mandy shakes her head and threads her fingers through her hair, “I know I’m hot.”   
  
Naomi grabs her hands and looks up at the house roofs, she could seven ten at once, “whatever.”   
  
“You don’t have to be such a curmudgeon.” Mandy stretches, “none of of us are so bad in the house.”   
  
“I don’t care where I am.” Naomi asserts, “I just want to be left alone.”   
  


Mandy’s eyes soften, “sounds like a problem.”   
  
Naomi sighs, “not really.” She smiles tightly, “you get more done that way. I’ve seen every season of Lost.”   
  
“Ugh,” Mandy wrinkles her nose, “you really are in purgatory.” She sweeps her long hair behind her shoulder, “at least you have me.”   
  
“To force me half way to school?”   
  


Mandy pouts, “I  _ tried _ . And you lit things on fire.” She doesn’t look at her.

“Uuuh,” Naomi eyes dart one way, “uh, that's not how I remember it. But whatever you want to tell yourself kid."   
  
Mandy slumps down in her chair, “just help me sell these. Or you are fired.” She huffs.

Naomi feels like tipping the table over, “am I even paid?”   
  
Mandy gives her a half smile, “one ride in my car. Anywhere you want.”   
  
Naomi leans on the table, “how can I resist that?”   
  
Mandy pushes her off the table, “I know, right? You’re a terrible employee anyway.”   
  
“Oh no! Mr. Trump, don’t fire me.” She says loudly, and Mandy breaks into a laugh, a fluttering stirs in Naomi’s gut. That was too much.

“I have to go inside.” She says quickly.

“Mr, Trump, who I am not since he is a dick-bag going to asshole land, didn’t say you could go yet.” Mandy stubbornly juts out her chin.   
  
Naomi puts her lip out, “what do you want from me Mandy?”   
  
Mandy shrugs, “be nice to your aunt for one. She really tries.”   
  
Naomi bites the inside of her cheek, “I know.” She tries to get up again.

Mandy grabs onto her arm and forces her to stay, “I don’t think so.”   
  
Naomi didn’t know what to make of this, so she sits back down. They sell the rest of their wares, Mandy talks about her projects and annoying classmates. Naomi tries to make sense of her, before trying to excuse herself several times. Finally, she lets her go after Mr. Gary buys their last cookie. 

“I’ll see you next Sunday.” Mandy says as she taps her chin, “I’m think Daisy’s. Bitches love daisy's.”

“Sounds expensive.” She grumbles.

Mandy slaps her on the back, Naomi reflecting on how touchy she was, “that’s it, a head for business.”   
  
Naomi folds up her chair as she stands up, “are you really going to get a car like this?”   
  
“Right after stealing a Lamborghini, yes.” She cleans up the table, Naomi watches her lithe hand work over the crumbs and stacking plastic cups in short order. Long fingers and gleaming pink nails.

Naomi quickly takes the table back inside.

“I really will see you tomorrow!” She calls after her back, “when you pretend go-to-school.”   
  
Naomi waves at her and doesn’t say anything. She curls up in a ball when she reaches the garage and takes deep breaths.

She needed something to watch and she needed it quickly, she gets on her phone and spends the night in the garage watching ER until her aunt calls her name until she’s hoarse.

Aunt Nancy narrows her eyes at her when she finds her tucked behind an old fish tank in the garage. 

  
“What are you doing in here child?” She sounded tired.

Naomi shakes her head, “looking for Eugene.”

“Well,” Her aunt sees her downcast eyes, “alright.”   
  
She goes back upstairs, eats a health bar and stares at Mandy’s door for far too long.

“Aunt Nanc,” she asks as they get ready for bed, “are mean people worth it?” She wasn’t sure what she meant, but her aunt Nancy slips on her night cap.

“No such thing as someone ‘all mean’ hon.” She says sternly, “just look at my boss, she’s a witch, but I’ll work with her, I’ll work with her…” She launches into a story, and Naomi frowns, mumbling about how that's not what she meant.

Her mind buzzes before she fades off into sleep, dreaming of Animal Planet and Who Wants to be a Millionaire in that order.

**Author's Note:**

> please tell me what you think!


End file.
